SPRING PRACTICE PERIOD: Stories from the Lotus Sutra

Dogen-Zenji so cherished the Lotus Sutra that he actually carved a selection of it into his door. This, the core text of not only Zen but the whole of Mahayana Buddhism, has never lost its appeal among practitioners of the Way. Join us for our SPRING PRACTICE PERIOD: Stories From the Lotus Sutra led by Sensei Joshin Byrnes, Sensei Genzan Quennell

Francisco Pancho Ramos-Stierle: Embodying Nonviolence

As the Occupy Oakland encampment was being dismantled by hundreds of police officers on the morning of November 14th, a small group of demonstrators sat quietly in peaceful meditation before the advancing throng of law enforcement. One of the demonstrators was Francisco Ramos Stierle, better known far and wide simply as “Pancho”. We write to express our unconditional support for and solidarity with this ‘peaceful warrior’ as he navigates the labyrinthian contours of the legal system.

Pancho’s case is unique, in that he faces not only the charges in connection with his peaceful protest, but also an impending deportation hold because of his immigration status. In this manner, Pancho’s situation represents an important point of connection between the aims of the Occupy Movement and the immigration questions that have become singularly critical in the national dialogue in recent years.

Pancho was a doctoral student at the University of California at Berkeley, pursuing a Ph.D. in astrophysics. He resigned his seat in that program when it became evident to him that his talents would be used in the service of developing weapons of war, including so-called “safer nuclear weapons,” so he stopped cooperating with the institution.

As an avid student of Gandhi, he went on a 9-day hunger strike with others and became active in the community. From anarchists to the administration, people loved him … not just because he fiercely stood up for his values but because he was explicitly motivated by love. He once went to jail for meditating under a tree; his offense ironically read: “Disturbing the Peace.” When one of his friends called him during a time of a potential robbery, Pancho immediately showed up with another love warrior and averted the situation. In Arizona, he went to support migrant families in the struggle against harsh policies and laws such as SB1070; when mug shots were taken before jailing the nonviolent activists who sought to protect vulnerable communities, Pancho was told to “stop smiling.” Following his recent arrest at Occupy Oakland, Pancho wrote a brief message to his supporters: “Just tell them I love them all. Great space to meditate!”

These episodes convey something of this unique and inspiring figure’s work in the world. After leaving the Ph.D. program, Pancho said that he was instead pursuing a “PhDO” as a “citizen of the world,” in the heartfelt belief that “when the inner (r)evolution merges with the outer (r)evolution, the Total (R)evolution of the Human Spirit is imminent.”

Pancho defines his mission in life thusly: “To live in radical joyous shared servanthood to unify humanity.” His activism and life’s work focus on issues of human rights, nonviolence, peacebuilding, immigration, restorative justice, permaculture, and the development of a vibrant “gift economy.” He has been an integral part of movements to democratize the University of California system, protect old growth trees, implement “free farms,” and move beyond youth violence, among other efforts aimed at manifesting his vision for a peaceful world.

In many of these respects, his aims mirror those at the core of Occupy Wall Street: moving the paradigm from conflict and consumption to one of social justice and sustainability. As Pancho said in a statement from jail:

“When the city of Oakland decided to raid Occupy Oakland, it spent around $2 million dollars to do it. On the same day, Oakland closed five public schools. This is the same thing happening across the country. We do not have an economic crisis, we have a crisis of priorities.”

Pancho is a vibrant member of his community, and an asset to the causes of peace and nonviolence in every sphere where he works. He has touched myriad lives as an organizer, speaker, blogger, and living embodiment of the principles he holds dear. We cannot think of another individual who so eminently “walks the talk” as does Pancho.

Excellent – I wonder why only a few of us visit the Occupy movement (at least in DC) – is it lack of clarity of their message? Why aren’t we all walking in the streets to support their helping us see “We do not have an economic crisis, we have a crisis of priorities.”? With a grateful bow, Jindra